(Part 2) Chapter 6: Finding Myself

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I see the tall building ahead of me and keep a straight face as I quickly cross the street. I open the glass door covered in posters and to my left is a door while ahead of me is a staircase with a few people talking.

I slide by, keeping my head down and see them glace at me. I soon make it to the fourth door up and look inside to see that smelly old gym. Hasn't changed.

I walk in and see Dennis look over to me from his papers. He's the first person I see. I take off my hood.

"Beth?"

I smile at him and wave and he comes over to me, quickly pulling me into a hug.

"I heard what happened, I'm so proud of you, nice job!" He says patting my shoulder.

"What about Beth?" A voice says from around the corner.

I look over and see Arlo, Pablo, Maggie and Jade look over to me.

"Oh, my f^&*#%$ god your back!" Jade says quickly running over and hugging me.

I hug her back.

"I couldn't be any more proud of you, you crazy b^%$!" She screams while smiling.

"Watch your language, Jade," Dax says rounding the corner.

She backs off of me and I see everyone but Jared here.

"Jared is in the bathroom, he is gonna be so excited that your back! What are you doing back? Not that I'm complaining!" Maggie quickly says.

I pull out my phone and type, 'came back to fight some more,' and show it to them.

They all smile at me.

"You came to the right place," Dennis says putting his hand on my shoulder.

A few other people look over at the whole commotion till the bathroom door opens.

"What are you all freaking out about?"

I look over and see Jared look to all of us.

"Beth?"

I smile and wave my hand. He comes over and hugs me and I hug him back.

"Heard what happened, how are you doing?"

I show a thumbs up as he backs off of me.

"So I've heard the rumors, so you used to be a champion street fighter?" Pablo asks.

I nod my head as I bite my lip. I know my coaches didn't want to hear that.

"Alright, so now we got to teach you how to fight the right way all over again?" Arlo asks.

I shrug my shoulders with a half smile.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get ready. Get gloves and locker over there." Dax says.

I nod my head and take a seat, wrapping my hands as everyone but Jared leaves. He takes a seat next to me.

"So how old are you now?"

I show type '16' into my phone as I continue to wrap my hands. I already know he is seventeen now.

"So you still watch your opponents before striking?"

I nod my head.

"Phew, coaches are not gonna be happy if you do that here."

I smile at him as I finish one of my hands and start working on the other.

"I should probably warn you about something though."

I look up to him as I work on wrapping my hand.

"Promise you won't leave after I tell you this?"

I raise an eyebrow and mouth 'what is it?'

"Promise?"

'Sure'

"Henry, David, and Jace started coming here to fight last week. They actually are usually here by now," he says quietly.

Aw, shoot! Come on! You know what? Fine. Keep them away from me though or you might have a crime scene here. After what they did to me and the guys, I should have aimed for their heads. Just be aware of that.

I sigh and finish my hand pulling out some money for gloves and a locker and mouth 'oh well' to Jared.

"Your taking this better then I thought you would," he says with a hint of worry behind his voice.

I shrug my shoulders as he and I stand up. I walk over to the small office and Dennis gives me a pair of red gloves and a locker.

I put my stuff inside along with my hoodie, revealing my french braid completely and my black shirt. I close the door and slide on my gloves as Arlo has us all come over as a group.

"What are you all waiting for? Get a punching bag and let's go a few rounds."

We all move to an individual punching bag and get into the stance you fight in and bring our gloves up to our faces when the doors open and we all look over to see them. Henry and his guys.

"I didn't say stop, get going," Arlo says walking over to them while he looks back to us.

I focus on punching and I'm the first one to look back to the punching bag and start throwing shots. The others soon start and those three soon join in but I can feel their eyes on me. 

But I can tell their looks aren't ones of fear, embarrassment or nervousness. No, it's looks of pure rage. And I match that with my own rage. And I know they notice that. Which makes them seem weaker to me.

As we do drills they keep silent and we can all tell that you could cut the awkwardness with a knife if you wanted. It was a very quiet gym for a lot of the time until we would get breaks and go into our own groups and talk about what is going on.

I can tell the coaches are tense too, along with other fighters but they do their best to keep us all separated. And so do I. I don't feel like killing someone today. I know I wouldn't but it might at least come close to that. Someone may or may not lose an eye. Who knows? 

Although all of that is happening, I am pretty happy. I love doing this and being able to do it again without worry or consequences is a nice relief. It's me just being able to do what I love.

We go through drills for hours till all that's left is me, Jade, Jared, and those guys. It is about five AM and new coaches come in for daylight hours, Ray, Morgan, and Jeff.

I soon finish and pack up my things. I didn't sleep last night. I'm not tired though, mean I had slept for two months and non-stop for almost two weeks. And I can sleep when I'm dead. I pull out my phone as I begin to unwrap my hands and notice twelve missed calls. Shoot.

I unravel my hands completely and quickly see calls from all the guys and Willow.

I text Leo that I'm fine and do the same in the group chat as Jared comes up to me.

"Hey, it's been awhile, so I was thinking we should go out and catch up some time," he says as I stand up.

Wait, is he asking me on a date? I'm just over-thinking this right? I look up at him with a little bit of a puzzled look.

"Not like a date, just catch up some time."

I smile at him and nod my head, standing up and quickly bring up my contacts list and hand my phone to him so that I can have his number and he pulls out his phone, handing it to me. I quickly type in my number and my name, saving it and giving it back to him as he gives me back my phone.

"See ya later Beth."

He pulls me into a side hug and I do the same as my phone starts buzzing from a bunch of text messages. I sigh and wave him goodbye as I make my way out and down the stairs.

Leo: WHERE ARE YOU?!

Me: On my way home

Leo: Where have you been? If mom and dad found out you were out for so long you would be sent back to the hospital!

Me: But I'm fine and they won't find out, right?

Leo: Your lucky I'm in a good mood.

Me: Why are you in a good mood?

Leo: You'll find out when you get home.

Me: Please don't be a prank.

Leo: It's not, where are you?

Me: Almost home, calm down

Leo: Hurry up!

Me: I would. If you would stop texting me.

He finally stops and I put my phone in my bag as I walk home with my shoulders square and my 'I'm gonna murder someone', face on making people keep their distance.

Once I am out of that area I jog home at a comfortable pace till I reach the gravel road and start to walk. My whole body is sore and hurts. I walk towards the house and walk in the front door to a silent house. It scares me. I take another step forward till a bag is put over my head and I am quickly scooped off my feet.

My breath catches and I gasp and someone quickly picks me up bridal style. I soon realize it's Gray and the guys as they run me back out of the house. I wrap my arms around his neck and slowly start to calm my heart that just about broke out of my rib cage. I am placed in the back seat of a car and two people sit next to me and I pull the bag from my head.

Gray smiles at me while he sit's next to me and so does Mason as Willow sits in the passenger seat and L.J. sits in the driver's seat. 

"Hi there," Mason says while I look grumpily at all of them.

"Calm down," Willow says tossing a bag back to me.

I look at the way they are all dressed. We are going to the beach, aren't we?

"Piece it together yet princess?" Gray asks raising an eyebrow.

I sigh and nod my head with a smile. The beach is two hours away I internally groan.

"So you are dressed in gym clothes and covered in sweat, where exactly were you?" Mason asks.

I pull my phone out of my bag and type, 'I wasn't street fighting, I was at the gym.' And show it to them.

"Beth, you just got a text from someone named, 'Loverboy,'" Gray says looking at me with a smirk.

My face instantly turns red. JARED PUT THAT AS HIS NAME!!! 

"Oh, so who is this guy? I can't have too many competitors, Beth!" Willow starts. "Unless he's really hot."

Quickly type, 'NO! I was with an old friend and he typed in his phone number, he put that as his name, not me!'

"Oh, so you were with an old guy friend?" Mason asks. 

They all give me that same look. And I type.

'Yeah, why? You guys jealous?'

"Nope, he can have this mess," Gray says motioning to me.

I give him a hurt look and elbow him as he chuckles and I open his text message.

Loverboy: Beth?

Me: Yep, nice name change

Jared: You changed it didn't you?

Me: Yeah

Jared: So when are we going out?

"Oh, so you guys are going out on a date?" Mason says while he reads my text messages.

I shake my head no as I turn my phone away from the both of them

Me: Any day but today

Jared: Why not today?

Me: I've been kidnapped by my friends and they are forcing me to go to the beach

Jared: Am I not invited?

Me: No.

Jared: Harsh. How's tomorrow, at five at Taco Roll?

Me: Sounds good 

Jared: Alright, see you then

Me: See you then

I turn off my messages and go back to my notes app.

"So who is this Loverboy?" Willow asks wiggling her drawn on eyebrows.

I roll my eyes and mouth 'an old friend.'

"You guys dating now?" L.J. asks.

I quickly mouth 'no' while shaking my head.

We all continue to talk till at one point I slowly fade away from the conversation and with no sleep last night I rest my head on the back of the seat and close my eyes.

 I still listen to the conversation about teachers being awful and us getting a ton of homework but I have never been more tired than right now. Occasionally I'll open an eye slightly but I just end up closing them completely. 

None of them seem to notice my lack of interest or movement which, I'm not complaining. I'm too tired to even try to look at my bright phone screen. Times like this make me wish I could only be tired when I want to be and not just at random times.

I struggle to stay awake but over time I just get more and more tied and in less then ten minutes I fall asleep.

~~~

Author's Note:

 Leaving in just days for camp! But don't worry, I'm trying to upload as often as possible before I leave for five days and I will have one pre-written so I can upload as soon as I can when I get back! Thank you all so much, this book has been my greatest work and it's like a dream come true to see it so many reads, votes, and comments on you all wanting more.

I will never forget freaking out over reads that weren't my own. My first hundred, thousand and five thousand. I am also working on some new stories as this one will sadly have to end eventually.  

Thank you all. See you in the next chapter.

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